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Senate Republicans rejected President Obama’s nomination of Peter Diamond to the Federal Reserve last year, and it seems they’re ready to do it again.

Sen. Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Banking Committee, called the Nobel laureate “an old-fashioned, big government Keynesian” at his nomination hearing on Tuesday. His objection: The MIT professor doesn’t have enough experience in making monetary policy.

Still, Shelby allowed that Diamond, whose nomination was re-sent by Obama to the Senate on Jan. 5, is a “very accomplished academic and economist.”

“Does Dr. Diamond have any experience in conducting monetary policy? No,” Shelby said. “Does Dr. Diamond have any experience in bank management or supervision? No. ... Does Dr. Diamond have any experience in crisis management? No.”

The Alabama senator also reminded the banking panel that Diamond had sided with some of Obama’s biggest financial decisions by supporting the stimulus package, arguing for higher taxes to fund Social Security and bailing out banks.

“Our economy is already suffering from excessive government debt and misguided regulation,” Shelby said. “Our financial regulators should be trying to take steps to strengthen our markets, rather than replace them with new layers of government.”

Whether Obama will keep pushing for Diamond to be on the Federal Reserve’s seven-member board is unclear.